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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24024538">Kick Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovettOrNot/pseuds/LovettOrNot'>LovettOrNot</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/zidianwuxian/pseuds/zidianwuxian'>zidianwuxian</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>K-pop, NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action, Enemies to Lovers, Fights, Fist Fights, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, M/M, Martial Arts, Romance, Slash, Strangers to Lovers, Strangers to enemies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 06:27:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,235</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24024538</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovettOrNot/pseuds/LovettOrNot, https://archiveofourown.org/users/zidianwuxian/pseuds/zidianwuxian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Known as the Undefeated Master, Taeyong is the most famous martial artist in all of Neo Capitol. When a new upstart by the name of Jaehyun defeats the masters that Taeyong personally trained, Taeyong is expected to win back his students’ honor. There’s just one problem: Taeyong has a huge crush on Jaehyun.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>87</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. New Things</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is my first ever fanfiction so hopefully this goes well. Special thanks to LovettOrNot for helping me with realistic martial arts (cuz I usually watch wuxia instead) and making sure I don’t write like I’m 6. Please support them too!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Again.”</p><p>Wood rattled as it was struck seven different times in seven different ways.</p><p>“Again.”</p><p>Only two people occupied the barely-lit training hall. It was 10PM, and most other students were tucked under blankets, asleep. The single pupil had only his own body heat and the repeating words of his instructor to fight against the night chill.</p><p>“That’s 50,” Mark said, catching his breath. “Is that enough, teacher?”</p><p>Taeyong leaned forward in his seat, studying Mark’s expression. It was obvious that Mark wanted to stop, but despite the time and the late hour it was clear that Mark wasn’t tired. His jittery arms held quite a bit of energy, just begging to be released. Mark wasn’t tired, he was <em>bored</em>.</p><p>“Would you like to proceed to the next form?” Taeyong asked with a small smile.</p><p>Mark scrunched up his nose at the idea. Taeyong laughed; Mark probably already studied and started on it. After a moment of thinking, Mark’s eyes lit up. “Why don’t we spar?”</p><p>Taeyong hid his dismay with a good-natured smile. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to trade blows with Mark. The very fact that Mark was invited to be part of the 127 Dragons meant that he was worthy of being a sparring partner. In fact, Taeyong was itching to have a good fight. Too many would-be challengers were intercepted and beaten by his pupils long before he learned of them.</p><p>He had just one problem, and that was tucked away at the back of his wardrobe.</p><p>“I’m not in proper gear,” Taeyong replied cheekily as he gestured to his shiny leather pants and beanie. When his schools were still small he took every measure to be intimidating, always wearing the right clothes to accept any challenge at any time. Now that his students were themselves masters, he chose to be fashionable over intimidating.</p><p>“You say that like, all the time.” The younger dropped into his stance; lower to the ground, knees bent. His slowly swaying arms were poised like snakes, their easy motion hiding both speed and force. Light grey fabric covering his lower hand to mid-forearm twisted with the motion- they were his special gloves, increasing effectiveness without giving the opponent too big of a grapple point.</p><p>Taeyong felt a swell of pride in his heart. When they first met, Mark’s strikes communicated all of his talent and determination. All he lacked was discipline and a way to apply what he already had. However, that was a year ago. There was only so much that Taeyong could test through his eyes. With an exaggerated sigh, he tugged his beanie down over his ears and kicked off his shoes.</p><p>“I guess I can fight with a handicap.”</p><p>Breathing in deeply, he focused all of his internal energy. Breathing out, he cleared all of the errant thoughts from his head. Dragon was a style of many variations, techniques, movements. Without even thinking, his right leg traced an imaginary line. His left leg shifted as he did so, maintaining his balance as he sunk into a low forward stance.</p><p>He breathed in again. His hands rose, fingers flat except for his thumb. It was the more defensive of his two Dragon Claw styles. He breathed out again. Turning his palms up, his right arm settled closer to his torso while his left stretched out toward Mark. There would be no holding back.</p><p>“Impress me!” Taeyong yelled.</p><p>Within seconds his vision was dominated by speedy, complex jabs. Even from a distance Mark was moving his arms, weaving a complex but learnable pattern. High – high- mid- high – mid – mid, Taeyong followed it all with his eyes, but refused to move. Just as Mark got in range, his fingers took a sudden dip-</p><p>Only to crash not into Taeyong’s stomach, but his forearm.</p><p>Undeterred, Mark used his other hand to strike high, again meeting Taeyong’s spinning forearm. Just as he blocked Taeyong forced his hand forward, headed straight for Mark’s face. Mark yelled as he spun his entire body out of the way, landing on the floor cross-legged. Quick as a whip his fingers thrust towards Taeyong’s vulnerable kneecaps.</p><p>His fingertips only barely brushed against their target as Taeyong hastily raised his leg defensively. Using his already raised leg, he cocked it backward before launching it in a sideway arc. His foot cleaved through Mark’s black and yellow hair. Taeyong used his momentum to spin, making his second kick all the more powerful. Still winded from the incredibly close dodge, Mark could only raise his arms to block.</p><p>The blade of Taeyong’s foot made a sickening sound as it crashed through Mark’s meager defense. Cradling his head, Mark groaned against the floor. He squeezed his eyes shut when he saw Taeyong’s foot coming for his face. When several seconds passed by with no impact, he opened his eyes to see it hovering just a few inches away.</p><p>“First mistake. Using a defensive position for offense.” Taeyong walked to his original position, allowing Mark to untangle himself and get back up before adding, “Again.”</p><p>Mark rubbed his head and shook it before getting back into stance. “Yes, Teacher!”</p><p>Unlike the first time around, there was no flashy movement, no attempt at deception. Mark approached slowly and steadily, his arms only moving to follow Taeyong’s movements. It was Taeyong who made the first move that time, advancing with one strong fist while the other protected his midsection.</p><p>Taking a page out of Taeyong’s book, Mark directed the fist away just enough to stage an all-out counterattack. His hands worked in tandem, aiming for both Taeyong’s eyes and stomach. Taeyong relied only on muscle memory to combat the blinding speed, so when Mark raised his lower hand up high, Taeyong’s eyes were immediately drawn to it.</p><p>He blocked a second too late, his arms not providing adequate protection against Mark’s sharp upward kick. Taeyong’s once sturdy stance buckled and Mark capitalized on it, raising his leg. While Taeyong struggled to regain his balance, Mark twisted to the side, supporting himself on one leg and his hands as he ducked down. Kicking out the other leg, it followed the momentum in a circular movement, doubtlessly capable of breaking Taeyong’s guard.</p><p>Of course, Taeyong wasn’t so inexperienced that he’d stand and let his guard be broken.</p><p>Abandoning his rigid defense stance he swerved to the side. Mark hissed at the dodge and rushed to right himself again to maintain his advantage. By the time he did so, however, Taeyong had already closed in. Mark’s hands were too low to the ground from supporting and his legs were ungrounded.</p><p>Taeyong delivered a savage palm strike to Mark’s chest. He could feel the wind rushing out of lungs as his palm smashed against ribs. Mark wheezed painfully, clearly trying to overcome the pain, but his body failed him. When he collapsed to the floor, he choked out a quick “I yield.”</p><p>As soon as that was said, Taeyong dropped straight out of warrior mode. He rushed over to Mark and helped him up, got him some water and a relief patch. If he weren’t Mark’s teacher he probably would’ve been apologizing up and down for not holding back. As it stood, though, it was completely necessary.</p><p>“Tomorrow you’re training with Johnny and Haechan. Your offense is good, but you must survive more than one strike.”</p><p>“Yes, teacher,” Mark muttered as he hobbled back to his room.</p><p>The next morning, after assigning Johnny and Haechan to their training duties, he decided to make a little visit to the local market. At first it was strange, kicking up his motorcycle and tearing down the neon streets while passing by martial artists and traditional teahouses. However, over the years he understood.</p><p>Neo Capitol was a place of sensationalism. As technology solved problems quicker than they could arise, people grew bored easily. A lot of the fulfillment that used to come from improving was taken away when people realized a machine could do it for them. However, there was no cheating in martial arts; there was simply no reason to. Why utilize technology to get better at an ancient fighting style?</p><p>As martial arts took off, so did neo-traditionalism. Schools were established, teahouses built, hypermarkets overlooked for small bazaars. Neo Capitol was a melting pot of cultures, so anybody could practice whatever they wanted. As Taeyong parked his motorcycle against the wall of the local bazaar, he smiled.</p><p>Just about everything except for the lights and currency was transported back in time. Invisible light sources and instant theft-proof payment were too convenient to get rid of, for obvious reasons. Still, even if it weren’t all authentic, the human joy in each stall definitely was.</p><p>All around people conversed, laughed, haggled, advertised, and even cooked with the long outdated method of frying. When people noticed him, a good amount of them addressed him with fondness. A smaller few but a noticeable amount nonetheless looked at him with reverence, as the ‘Undefeated Master’. He always deflected the compliments, but he couldn’t deny he was part of making this whole thing in the first place.</p><p>He and Johnny were part of the first wave of neo-martial artists, after all.</p><p>When the people finally settled back into their normal business, he made his way to his destination. On the way he picked up several side purchases only as he thought of them. They were little things like patches and bandages, but nobody else seemed to remember to buy them. He chuckled to himself. The one who did the least fighting nowadays was the one buying training necessities.</p><p>When he reached the rice stall he was greeted warmly by the rice seller. She was a little old lady who was all too happy to recreate the past. Originally a farmer whose only market was herself and her family, the new wave created a new need for rice. She was always gracious to martial artists, repeatedly telling them she owed them her stall.</p><p>She was especially sweet on Taeyong, as one of his first fights took place in front of her stall which she used for publicity even now. With one more bag of rice than he paid for, Taeyong thanked her profusely and started to leave. Of course, having that many burlap sacks in front of his face wasn’t the best for navigation. To his credit, he was able to avoid quite a few people during his blind stumbling.</p><p>However, he inevitably bumped into a stranger. He could only stare regretfully as sacks started tumbling to the ground. By all means he could catch them with his foot, but more often than not that little stunt resulted in a ripped bag and lot of grains on the floor. He’d have to put down the bags just to then pick up the bags again… He prepared himself for the clacks of rice grains against the floor, but no such sound came. In fact, all he got was a new sight. A <em>very </em>handsome face was staring at him.</p><p>“Sorry about that.” The stranger’s voice was deep but not gravelly. It was smooth, like a layer of honey.</p><p>“N-No, it was my fault. I couldn’t see where I was going.”</p><p>“Hoh?” The playful smile Taeyong saw made him want to melt into a puddle then and there. “Well, I have some of your bags already. I can help you carry the rest of them.”</p><p>He went into panic mode. The others liked to joke that he never got attracted to anyone. And, well, yeah, that was true. He really never had a crush on anyone… until this one person. It wasn’t fair.</p><p>Taeyong completely forgot to reply, so when some of the weight was lifted from his arms he snapped back to reality. With the bags no longer obscuring his vision, he could see the stranger in all his glory. He was dressed like any other martial arts practitioner, aside from his jacket. Whereas most others wore black with white highlights, his jacket was emblazoned with countless yellow flowers.</p><p>His clothes fit him wonderfully; Taeyong found himself staring at the little bits of exposed skin. He mentally berated himself and looked up, only to start getting lost in the stranger’s eyes. Ugh, what the heck was happening to him? He turned away before the stranger could see him blush. “Thanks for the help. I didn’t park too far away.”</p><p>Well, that was a lie. The rice seller was all the way at the back of the bazaar, but if Taeyong had to say one more word to this person he’d explode. The stranger carried himself with such confidence that it was nearly impossible for Taeyong to look away. Even though they were walking side by side, Taeyong kept sneaking glances to his right.</p><p>To distract himself from his brain melting every time he looked at the stranger’s face, he thought about starting up a conversation. Taeyong knew most of the masters and pupils in the area thanks to beating them a long time ago. It was possible that this person was a newly made trainee, but he doubted that. There was no school that used golden flowers as their insignia and, besides, he was far too confident for a newbie.</p><p>Walking around and trying to guess wasn’t going to get him anywhere, so he had to formulate a plan. All he had to do was ask him what his name was and what school of martial arts he belonged to. That was all. That was normal to ask. Except… what if it wasn’t? Was that too forward? Okay, new plan. He would make an offhand comment about the price of radishes. Depending on how the stranger reacted he could segue that into a particular fighting style-</p><p>And that was his motorcycle. Welp. He’d been thinking so hard he barely noticed they left the bazaar. He turned around, forcing the lump in his throat to go down. “This is it. Thanks for the help.”</p><p>“Any time.” The stranger even helped him pack away the rice bags into the cycle’s digital storage, meaning their hands brushed together more than once. By the time they finished, Taeyong was blushing brightly. The stranger looked at him expectantly.</p><p>“Yeah, I um…” Ask him. Ask him. Ask him, you coward. “Nevermind. Goodbye.”</p><p>Goddamnit.</p><p>“Bye, cutie.”</p><p>Taeyong managed to drive one block away before screaming his lungs out.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. On the Stage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Jaehyun saw the cute stranger off, he couldn’t help but grin.</p><p>If any of the boys back in his hometown were even half as cute as that guy, he would’ve never gotten any training done. Naïve and innocent types, the kind that crumbled under even the tiniest bit of flirting, were exactly his type. No, scratch that- this guy was his type. He literally couldn’t think of anyone who’d fit any better.</p><p>But as much as he wanted to drop everything, to make sure that guy was his and his alone, he first had to take care of himself. He knew he was moving to an entirely new region, and the capital of that region no less, but he didn’t expect it to be <em>that</em> expensive. It was a good thing he found this bazaar place or he wouldn’t have been able to both rent an apartment and eat.</p><p>Not that he planned on staying on that dingy old apartment for very long. The best part about the martial arts capital was the prize money. It was almost insane how much credits a bored populace and proud fighters could get together. Even entry level competitions had a high payout- provided you won.</p><p> But he wasn’t a beginner. He was the undisputed champion of his hometown.</p><p>It didn’t take long for excited chatter to sweep over the sleepy populace of the bazaar. He eyed a group of martial artists exchanging drinks and as soon as they gathered up to leave, he started following them. With their lead he navigated the twisting streets, memorizing each and every building he passed.</p><p>Most importantly, he memorized the location of the Dream School- the most junior part of the 127 Dragons, as the sign proudly proclaimed. He’d pay a visit tomorrow.</p><p>Eventually he didn’t even need to follow the group, as loud cheers split the afternoon air. Turning a corner, the sight of a grand stage filled him with intense excitement. Even now people were crashing from it, sprawling on the dirt after harsh falls. He rushed over to the old man handling registration, who eyed him critically.</p><p>“I haven’t seen you around here, boy.” The old man stroked his beard with something akin to contempt. “I’ll put you down for the lowest bracket-”</p><p>“How many people are in the highest bracket?” Jaehyun quickly interrupted. “I want to fight them all.”</p><p>The old man gave a loud <em>hmph</em>. “Your jokes are not funny.” When Jaehyun fixed him with a pointed stare, the composure of the man wore away quickly. “There are five. A newcomer like you wouldn’t last a second.”</p><p>“I’ll take my chances. All five.”</p><p>Muttering ‘that kid’s walking into his own funeral’, the old man accepted Jaehyun’s wager and waved him over to the waiting area.  Around him sat his opponents, overconfident louts that probably only ever sparred with each other instead of improving. He didn’t mind the leers and non-subtle jokes that were clearly aimed at him.</p><p>When the lower brackets finally finished, the announcer brought them all up to the stage. Each of his opponents was announced loudly with their names and exploits. Jaehyun simply cracked his neck and knuckles while waiting. As a newcomer he wasn’t given the same treatment; all he was called was ‘the Challenger’.</p><p>His feet left the floor before the bell even rang. Caught unaware, the opponent didn’t even have time to blink. Jaehyun’s shattering fist knocked him clean off of the stage, landing dangerously close to the shrieking audience.</p><p>Jaehyun shook his head as he heard a needlessly loud yell from behind him. He turned around and assessed the situation in a flash; a man twice his size was charging at him, hand already poised to deliver a punch. People were shouting at him to move, but he smirked and stood his ground.</p><p>He almost yawned at the clumsy punch, effortlessly moving his head out of the way. Jaehyun grabbed the arm as it passed his face and started turning around. His toughened shoulder dug straight into the opponent’s stomach, giving him more than enough leverage. In three seconds flat, he’d thrown the guy over his shoulder, straight into the dirt below the stage.</p><p>The threat Jaehyun posed finally sunk into the others’ minds, so two of the remaining three set aside their squabbles to approach him, taking up defensive stances and trying to circle him. Usually circling was effective because it left the target’s back exposed if they chose to attack. However, before they could even get to Jaehyun’s side, he pounced.</p><p>Jaehyun’s flying punch knocked the person to the floor. Three more punches to the face knocked the person out cold. Disappointment was starting to run thick through Jaehyun’s veins. This clearly wasn’t the best Neo Capitol had to offer, but still. As he grabbed the next opponent and drove his knee once, twice, three times into the stomach, another fell without any effort from him.</p><p>Letting go of the now limp body, he sighed at the last victim cowering in the corner. He took the opportunity to address the crowd, raising his hand in victory as if he’d already won. The cheering crowd certainly seemed to think he did. “Listen up, everyone. My name is Jaehyun. I am the Knockout in Three Steps.”</p><p>Before now he hadn’t even switched to his main style. His fingers curled, each finger becoming like deadly hooks. The crowd gasped as he took a single step, into a low stance that mimicked a predator’s. Those faint of heart started screaming when he took another step, ready to spring forward and demolish everything in his path.</p><p>“I SURRENDER!” The opponent yelled before running off the stage himself.</p><p>The applause was deafening. He checked his balance by tapping his wrist- he’d gotten considerably richer from that. He smiled at the now-dumbstruck old man at the registration before leaping off of the stage. People crowded around him, but were too afraid to touch him, so he cleared a path simply by walking.</p><p>It was good to be king.</p><p>As nice as that was, he knew there was much work still to be done. Despite himself, his thoughts drifted to the cute stranger. He didn’t have time to flirt. Although… that wasn’t to say he couldn’t flirt <em>after</em> he became the undisputed greatest of Neo Capitol. It was settled. As soon as he beat the person at the top to a pulp, he’d find that stranger and spoil him.</p><p>He pictured the innocent motorcycle boy in his head. Would he make a good househusband?</p><p> </p><p>At a little before 8PM, the stove was running full time. Four pans over varying heats sat in front of Taeyong, who was hastily adding ingredients as needed. He hadn’t started off as a good cook, but housing a large number of people forced him to adapt. They originally had a dispenser, a modern appliance that did all the cooking, as long as you put in the correct ingredients and instructions.</p><p>At first there was a lot of pizza. It really wasn’t a healthy choice for martial artists, so Taeyong convinced them to stick to non-greasy food. After that he found ice cream. The week after that he found twenty identical loaves of bread and a hastily scribbled note with no signature saying ‘I was trying to make soup’. Taeyong got rid of the dispenser for a traditional stove soon after.</p><p>At least he didn’t have to cook for the Dream school. He quietly hoped that Jaemin could teach Mark and Haechan to cook so he could at least have some help.</p><p>Usually he was the only person in the kitchen at the time of day and for good reason- he couldn’t have people fighting, arguing, or in Taeil’s case accidentally spilling ingredients into the pans. Today was an exception since he invited Johnny over specifically to talk.</p><p>Johnny was playing one mobile game or another when he entered the room, hopping up and sitting on one of the empty kitchen counters. Taeyong made extra sure that things were cooking properly before he even began to speak.</p><p>“I know we talked about this before, but don’t you think our old outfits are a little embarrassing?”</p><p>“And the apron isn’t?”</p><p>“I-It’s Jungwoo’s.”  He looked down at the garishly big text, ‘KISS THE COOK’. “Maybe Taeil’s? Could be Mark’s.” He shook his head vigorously. “We only need one apron, so it doesn’t matter.”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>“It’s so embarrassing though,” Taeyong huffed. It was a great idea at the time. People were flocking to the martial arts scene in droves, trying to attract public interest one way or another. The most legitimate way was to defeat existing masters. Others turned to reviving more obscure styles. Even the 127 Dragons with its focus on animal imitation took on a few outliers such as practitioners of the Toad and Dog style. But that was long after Taeyong and Johnny's original grand scheme for attention;</p><p>They just wore less.</p><p>For a time, authentic clothing and yellow jumpsuits were all that anyone wore. Unwilling to blend into the crowd, the duo bought a black and white ensemble; shoes, trackpants and jackets. When they burst out into the scene the crowd came for the shirtless guys- and stayed for the high-paced martial arts match.</p><p>While they were definitely a success, they proved to be difficult to fight with since they had a nasty habit of slipping off their shoulders. A trip to the tailor gave Johnny a more form-fitting and armless vest, while Taeyong simply had a durable strip of cloth connect the two sides of his jacket. As their win rate skyrocketed, so did the public’s recognition of their outfits.</p><p>“That was five years ago!” Taeyong continued ranting as he tossed various herbs into the skillet. The sizzling ingredients mixed together, producing a heavenly scent. Taeyong was thinking too hard to notice, however. “I just don’t get it. Everybody else can wear a shirt, so why can’t we?”</p><p>“Have you considered that they want to look at us?” Johnny replied dryly, not looking up from his phone.</p><p>“I have, actually!”  Taeyong paused to taste his dish before adding in splashes of spice. “But it doesn’t make sense. They can see our techniques just fine if we put on shirts. They don’t have to copy every single thing we do.”</p><p>“It’s not that. They want… you know.” Johnny put down his phone and traced a rough depiction of a human’s curves in the air. Wheezing laughter and loud clapping soon followed, which of course meant that Mark chose that very moment to enter.</p><p>Taeyong, who was too busy plating the food to see what Johnny did, turned his head to see the rest of the 127 members shuffling in. Only Winwin was absent, having accompanied Ten on his travels. The chaos of eight hungry people trying to get their plate and their seat momentarily occupied Taeyong entirely, so by the time they were actually eating he had nearly forgotten what he was thinking about.</p><p>Mark almost immediately started talking about his day with Haechan and Johnny. He was about halfway through his story when Haechan got bored and pulled Mark closer to kiss him on the cheek, at which point Johnny snorted. Turning to Taeyong, he gestured broadly at Mark desperately fending off Haechan’s puckered lips. “That’s what they want.”</p><p>Taeyong raised an eyebrow, completely confused. Unsure of what to do, he looked around before shrugging. Maybe Johnny just wanted him to bring up what they talked about? Well, they were all together. It was good a time as any, since Haechan kissing Mark was a regular occurrence and would probably happen two or three times before dinner was over.</p><p>“Johnny and I were talking it over, and we’re going to get new outfits.” Nearly the entire table erupted into a chorus of ‘No’, with Taeil, Doyoung and Yuta going so far as to say ‘Never’. Taeyong pouted and dug dejectedly at his rice. “Can someone please explain why you’re all so attached to it?”</p><p>Knowing glances were exchanged between all of the members except for their baffled leader. After a while, everyone started looking between Doyoung and Jungwoo. Yuta muttered a ‘If only Ten were here’ before planting his gaze firmly on Jungwoo.</p><p>Without a single ounce of hesitation or regret, Jungwoo spoke. “It’s because it’s sexy, hyung.”</p><p>Taeyong choked. Jungwoo resumed eating as if nothing happened. Everyone else tried to help Taeyong not choke.</p><p>Two or three glasses of water later and with his cheeks redder than a tomato, Taeyong decided to finish dinner in his own room.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Comin' Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The previous night’s conversation played in Taeyong’s head the entire morning.</p><p>When he got up to get dressed, the insides of his wardrobe seemed like a gaping abyss. The black fabric of his martial arts gear stood out among his more colorful outfits, naturally drawing his eyes in. He wanted to close the doors then and there. It wasn’t too strange to go out in pajamas, right?</p><p>He rubbed his face in exasperation. He had a reputation to uphold, so he needed to dress properly. Shoving the offending clothing aside, he grabbed a bright white hoodie and sweatpants. It was the farthest thing from sexy! If anything, it would be cute!</p><p>Without warning, his brain replayed a very different set of words. <em>“Bye, cutie.”</em></p><p>Out of pure instinct he jolted away, throwing down the clothes he picked out as he did so. As Taeyong stared at the clothing littering the floor, he berated himself. Why was he getting so nervous? Nobody was around and this was his room. Why should he care what that stranger wanted?</p><p>He picked the pieces of his outfit up, huffing. He was going to wear this because he wanted to. Not because of the whims of some tall, muscled guy who made his stomach flutter. Getting worked up over somebody was dumb. He didn’t need anyone else’s opinion!</p><p>But what if the guy saw him in his official outfit?</p><p>Would he be into that, or was he only into cute guys? When they met he was wearing a pretty neutral outfit, but he was called cute. Maybe he himself was cute? He blushed and checked himself out in the mirror. He thought he looked pretty normal. What if he tried to combine outfits-</p><p>His alarm ringing shocked him out of his reverie. He quickly chucked the hoodie and sweatpants on before heading out of the door. The only thing worse than an awkward breakfast was an awkward get-together without any food. Hungry members meant complaining members, which in turn meant overly talkative members.</p><p>First was rice. Then the side dishes. Finally, a carton of eggs, some butter and cheese and a whole lot of crackling oil later, Taeyong started setting up the table with Johnny. Johnny tended to wake up the second earliest. Whether he genuinely wanted to help Taeyong or just wanted the most appealing plate after helping was up to debate.</p><p>As the rest of the members streamed in, their usual carefree and sleepy expressions stiffened at the sight of Taeyong. By the time everyone sat down, they refused to look at each other or say anything for fear of upsetting Taeyong.</p><p>In reality, the only thing upsetting Taeyong was how awkward they were being about everything. Unlike some other schools were respect was tantamount and punishments were freely given, Taeyong felt more troubled at the fact that his pupils were troubled.</p><p>“We’re going to pretend last night never happened.” Taeyong picked up his chopsticks with a polite smile. “Now let’s eat, I’m hungry.”</p><p>All of the tension in the room leaked out at once as everyone let out a collective breath. As if a switch had been flicked, a noisy conversation started up as if it had always been going. Jungwoo and Haechan went about their daily quotas of skinship with different targets. Most didn’t mind and went about eating normally, with only Mark putting up any resistance.</p><p>Ah, what a pleasure it was to have a normal morning.</p><p>When everyone finished and the dishes were cleared, it was time for their weekly briefing. Unlike most other days when everyone other than Taeyong and Johnny could leave immediately, this was a special occasion. As part of their drives for publicity, they held a semiannual tournament for the right to challenge Taeyong.</p><p>Despite Taeyong’s fearsome reputation, it easily commanded crowds in their thousands. To begin with, it was a spectacle. Each day for a week, four of the 127 Dragons would be available for anyone to challenge. By defeating four members total over any number of days, that person would then duel Johnny. Only then did they have the right to challenge Taeyong.</p><p>At least, that was what the order was supposed to be. In reality, the majority would fail at the very first hurdle. In the rare case a member fell, that was usually because they had a constant stream of combatants beforehand anyway. Those who snuck a win that way usually fell to the next Dragon.</p><p>However, those who could score two or three wins proved that they weren’t a fluke. That was actually how Jaemin joined; making clever use of his time constraints, he just barely managed to beat Mark on the first day. He came back three days later, rested, and managed to beat Haechan after that. He was stopped by Doyoung afterward, but by then Taeyong already wanted to take him in.</p><p>Speaking of which…</p><p>“How many days should the Dream members participate?” Taeyong asked Mark and Haechan.</p><p>The two Dream representatives studied each other wordlessly for a few moments. They knew better than anyone else that Dream had great fighters, even if they weren’t as polished as their experienced elders. Unfortunately, that meant that quite a few challengers would be seeing Dream as the weak link.</p><p>Specifically, it would be the first time Chenle, Jisung and Renjun would be defending.</p><p>Last year there were no incidents despite it being Jaemin and Jeno’s first round of defense. However, Jaemin was the protégé of Johnny while Jeno was the protégé of Taeyong; they shared the same styles. They were trained extensively by the two before they went out to defend.</p><p>Unfortunately, Mark and Haechan were themselves too busy training under Taeyong to train their own protégés; Renjun and Jisung respectively. Chenle was the lone Tiger and trained mostly on his own.</p><p>“One day,” they eventually said with a sigh.</p><p>“We’re good with the four day rotation already.” Haechan gestured to himself and Mark. “Jeno and Jaemin should be okay with two. That means the first day goes to… them.”</p><p>Taeyong could only nod along to the solemn responses. He knew how nerve wracking expectations like that could be. In fact, he had far too much knowledge of that to allow the Dreamies to figure it out by themselves.</p><p>He nudged Johnny. “I’m guessing you already put a schedule together?”</p><p>“A rough one, but yeah. You going out?”</p><p>“To the Dream school.”</p><p>As he left the gates of the main compound with Mark and Haechan in tow, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding. He was in no way a clairvoyant or in possession of a 7<sup>th</sup> sense or something, but his intuition was something that he trusted. For the first time in years, he felt a genuine sense of fear that someone would actually reach him.</p><p>Throughout the years, there was only one person who ever did.</p><p>There were quite a few who made it to Johnny, of course. Those included the likes of Yuta, Winwin, Taeil, and most recently Jungwoo. However, the person running through Taeyong’s mind was a special case.</p><p>His devastating knees and elbows were rumored to be able to take down 10 people at the same time. Thus, the man named Ten challenged Taeyong. Although he lost in the end, they became lifelong friends. Taeyong even saw Ten off when chose to travel instead of settling down with the 127 Dragons.</p><p>He wasn’t sure why he was thinking of that. By all means he should’ve been more concerned with Dream, but he couldn’t escape that nagging feeling. Would someone finally be approaching his previously unchallenged position?</p><p>Before he could get too deep within his mind, however, he spotted a flash of yellow on black.</p><p>His eyes widened as he stopped. Mark and Haechan tumbled into his back. He turned around immediately, apologizing. “Sorry, sorry. Look, why don’t you go on ahead? I need to speak with someone.”</p><p>He could feel curious eyes burning into his back as he left, but he couldn’t exactly pass up this opportunity. His heart started thumping in his ears. He navigated through the throng of people in something like a daze, until he was right up next to that gold and black jacket he’d spotted.</p><p>The stranger had just paid for strawberry ice cream, already on to licking it when he turned. He jumped a little at the sight of Taeyong before his mouth curled into a smile of genuine happiness. “It’s you.”</p><p>Taeyong could only hope that his cheeks weren’t as pink as the dessert lining the stranger’s lips. “Yeah. I remembered you, so I thought I’d come around and say hi.”</p><p>“We don’t have to stop at just ‘hi’, you know.” The stranger’s deep laughter resonated through Taeyong’s bones. “What’s your name?”</p><p>Right. Yeah. He should’ve seen this coming. Obviously if he wanted to date a person he’d have to give out his name. Then after that he’d have to explain that <em>yes</em>, he was the Undefeated Master who had the public’s attention in a stranglehold with his schools-</p><p>But Taeyong didn’t want his first relationship to be about that. The martial arts were so intimately connected to his life that he couldn’t deny it was part of him. But before he was Lee Taeyong, the Undefeated Master, he was Lee Taeyong, lonely teenager.</p><p>He didn’t want someone who looked at him like this unattainable figure, this person who sat above everyone else because he became the best.  Too many people were like that already. Only the 127 Dragons saw the true version of him on a regular basis, but even they saw him as greater when he acted as their teacher.</p><p>He didn’t want to be the lonely person on top of the mountain. In fact, he wanted someone to lead him instead. The only way to make sure that his relationship would not be tainted by that idea was to hide it a little. The man who sat on the mountain was Lee Taeyong. There was no such myth surrounding…</p><p>“My name’s TY.”</p><p>“Tee-why, huh?”</p><p>Jaehyun couldn’t help but notice the hesitation in TY’s answer, but he chalked it up to his usual nervousness. Maybe it was short for something extremely long. Jaehyun had the fortune of running into a person named Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, A.K.A. Ten during his travels. They became friends quickly.</p><p>That being said, he wasn’t exactly sure how much TY would appreciate learning his actual name. Jaehyun was a perfectly normal name most of the time, but after the fight the previous day it was probably buzzing around everyone’s lips.</p><p>In his experience, the nervous ones rarely if ever got into martial arts. It was a dangerous activity at times, true, but the public had a way of making mountains out of molehills. There were many guys he had some interest in, but by the time he actually pursued them they would be scared away by the latest town rumor. The most ridiculous one Jaehyun could remember was that he apparently had telekinetic powers and could beat people without touching them.</p><p>It was utter nonsense.</p><p>But still, TY wouldn’t know any better. Jaehyun couldn’t risk the most beautiful person running away through no fault of his own. It was an extremely simple plan. He just had to use one of his old nicknames.</p><p>“Well, TY, I’m Casper.”</p><p>With both of their brilliant plans launched and the other none the wiser, ‘TY’ and ‘Casper’ decided that a hanging out session was in order. Yes, a <em>hanging out session</em> and not a date, because neither wanted to seem desperate despite the constant flirting that bounced between them. They were just casual acquaintances. Even if they shared the same ice cream together. Even if Jaehyun occasionally swiped a thumb over Taeyong's lips, claiming he was 'just cleaning up'. Especially if Taeyong was blushing the entire time. Just! Casual! Acquaintances!</p><p>They made their way to one of the more secluded restaurants, with Taeyong acting as the tour guide. To his surprise, Jaehyun seemed genuinely curious about the place. Following the natural flow of conversation, he learned that Jaehyun came from another place but would be staying for the foreseeable future.</p><p>Which meant that he could date him without worrying about long distance. Great!</p><p>When they actually entered the restaurant, things went smoothly. They each ordered and picked a table like any set of friends would do. However, things went in an extremely different direction when they sat down. Instead of taking the other side of the booth, Jaehyun slid in right next to Taeyong.</p><p>Taeyong’s composure broke instantly as fingers brushed against his. He physically couldn’t handle the feeling and so his entire body attempted to jolt out of the way. All of the nervous energy in him escaped in panicked, high pitched laughter.</p><p>When several seconds passed without further contact, he shyly looked back, right into Jaehyun’s intense gaze.</p><p>“Stop it!”</p><p>“Stop what?”</p><p>“Don’t look at me like-” <em>Like you’re so concerned for me. Like you want to care for me. Like you </em>like<em> me. </em>“Just stop!”</p><p>With a fair bit of laughter, Jaehyun followed the instruction. Propping his head on his hand, he looked at the restaurant decor, apparently uninterested. However, that just made Taeyong even more flustered. Without thinking, Taeyong took hold of Jaehyun’s chin and made him look back at him. “I didn’t mean it literally.”</p><p>Jaehyun took the opportunity to extract Taeyong’s fingers from his face as an excuse to touch him. When Taeyong didn’t move his hand back, Jaehyun took that as a further excuse to hold his hand.</p><p>By the time the waitress came with their food, she was forced to ask. “Sir, is he alright?”</p><p>Jaehyun took one look at Taeyong, buried deep inside his hoodie and pressed as far into the corner as possible. Despite that, his hand was still firmly entwined with Jaehyun’s.</p><p>“He’s just shy. It’s cute.”</p><p>Taeyong groaned and tried to disappear even more.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Make My World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So so so so so sorry for the late update, school is starting up again. Sigh private schools. Once again thanks to Lovett for editing this ASAP so I could post it earlier. Also thanks to all readers and kudo-ers, really gives me the energy to write again.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Taeyong stumbled out of the restaurant alone, he could barely remember the last few hours.</p><p>Sure, he remembered meeting up with Casper. That part was seared into his memory, the taste of strawberry and the rough feel of fingertips against his lips. That part was embarrassingly clear to him. After that? Not so much. Just a blur of shared looks, food, a little bit of alcohol and a smaller but demanding hand around his.</p><p>What time was it? The setting sun cast orange rays over his face. Students- from the university and from martial arts schools alike- streamed past him as they made their way home. He took a deep breath to break through the haze in his mind.</p><p>Right, Mark and Haechan. Although they were prone to goofing off it has been quite some time since they parted. By now they were probably at home. It was anybody’s guess what Haechan was up to, but Mark was almost always dealing with Yuta’s barrage of affection at this time.</p><p>That was more like it. As… pleasant as that encounter with Casper was, he couldn’t let it overtake his responsibilities. He was the cleanly and organized Master of the 127 Dragons. His dignity was something he had to protect! He straightened his back and started walking, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his hoodie.</p><p>Something crinkled against his fingertips.</p><p>He paused and took it out, staring at the piece of paper in his hands. He started melting at the sight of the phone number yet again. Not so much the brisk numbers but the signature, looking half scribbled yet half thoughtfully put together. The heart at the end was what really set him off.</p><p>Attempting to run away from his feelings, he ran all the way back to the compound. He nearly ran right into Johnny, stopping himself just short of knocking coffee all over his friend. Bemused, Johnny took one sip from his coffee cup before speaking.</p><p>“So what’s his name?”</p><p>Taeyong’s eyes bulged. “What? How-”</p><p>“I didn’t really think Mark was telling the truth, but he came back a few hours ago telling us you went off with someone.”</p><p>Taeyong deflated on the spot. It was partially his fault for taking the two out and then bailing on them. He also didn’t explicitly tell them to leave without seeing what he was doing first. No matter how concerned he was, he couldn’t really blame either of them.</p><p>“They said that?”</p><p>“Now they thought it was a childhood friend, but if that were the case, it’d be me.” Johnny flashed a sharp smile. “And I think I can see a number or two on that paper you’re holding.”</p><p>Taeyong gasped and hastily tucked it back into his pocket. “…His name is Casper, all right? Promise me you won’t tell anyone.”</p><p>Johnny glanced over to the windows where all of the 127 Dragons were hiding. More than once he could see Doyoung’s eyes peeking over the sill only to disappear a few seconds later. They were extremely lucky that Taeyong was too flustered to notice. “I promise.”</p><p>With a sigh of relief he began babbling, describing how happy he was to see the stranger, figure out his name, eat out with him-</p><p>“So it was a date,” Johnny interrupted.</p><p>“Not a date! We were just getting acquainted with each other.”</p><p><em>‘So it was a date,’</em> Johnny thought.</p><p>By the time Taeyong finished, he was nearly breathless. He wasn’t good at keeping secrets. Even if he was, if there was any alcohol involved he’d spill everything and that would be a mess. He could only imagine what the members would think of him. They would surely lose respect for him. Someone as stoic presenting as him should be the one lifting people off their feet. It was a good thing the members were nowhere near.</p><p>In reality, under the windowsill, Doyoung was shout-whispering at Taeil. “He was single this entire time?”</p><p>To which he got a shrug from an equally confused Taeil, who was hiding directly to the side of the same window. “I thought he was dating Johnny?”</p><p>Jungwoo shook his head, directly opposite from Taeil. “Of course he was single. I was trying to flirt with him this entire time.”</p><p>Taeil rolled his eyes. “You flirt with all of us.”</p><p>“The offer still stands.”</p><p>Doyoung turned away with a pained smile and wide eyes, trying not to engage with Jungwoo at all. He looked at Haechan, pressed up against the bottom of another window. That was a normal enough hiding spot, but he nearly screamed when he saw Mark hanging from the rafters, legs dangerously close to being in plain view if he didn’t raise them.</p><p>The only thing stopping him from giving away their entire position was Yuta, who was raising Mark’s legs just out of view. Doyoung was starting to regret joining. With a heavy sigh, he slowly lifted his head again, only to come face to face with Taeyong.</p><p>“Um…” Taeyong peeked inside awkwardly, especially at the sight of Yuta holding Mark’s legs up. Everyone stared back at him with equal amounts of awkward energy. “What are you guys doing?”</p><p>“They were playing hide and seek.”  Johnny came in with a save. A weird one, but a save nonetheless. “Yuta just found everyone. Right, Yuta?”</p><p>“I found Mark,” Yuta said blankly while Mark laughed in complete nervousness.</p><p>And so another day came to an end with the 127 Dragons somehow avoiding a complete breakdown of relations.</p><p> </p><p>It took a few days for Jaehyun to get a peep out of TY again.</p><p>At first it was grating. Even parting at the restaurant was hard on him, eased only by the thought of TY cradling his phone and figuring out what to text. It stuck in his mind while he trained, while he bathed, while he laid in bed, staring at his phone. He waited even as his eyelids got heavy.</p><p>When he woke up the next morning to the shrill beeping of his alarm and <em>not</em> a call or text message, he got disappointed. When he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and forced himself into doing his morning run, he burned that disappointment off. As the laps wore on, he reasoned. TY was the shy type. He wasn’t going to call or text just a day afterward.</p><p>Or the day after that. Or the day after that. Or the day after that…</p><p>Those days were filled mostly with Jaehyun winning more competitions, blazing his way through incompetent and competent masters alike. Despite the abundance of frauds who only established schools to make a profit, there were just as many if not more genuine combatants who gave him a fair fight. After each and every competition, he would stare at his phone. Waiting for that fateful message.</p><p>It would be so nice if his lovely little TY caught a glance at him just as he won the tournament. Jaehyun would be looking away, of course- but TY would be starstruck. Just before they could make eye contact he’d scurry away, heart beating, to congratulate him on his win. Just like a drama.</p><p>In reality it didn’t come with any sort of fanfare.</p><p>Jaehyun was in the middle of his morning run when vibrations ran through his thigh. He clicked his tongue. He forgot to charge it again, didn’t he? He stopped to peer at his phone screen. Instead of a red battery, a single unknown number greeted him. His eyes widened. His fumbling fingers somehow got his password in.</p><p>His heart tightened. He was expecting a hi, a hello, maybe even a question. However, what he got was a full picture. TY lying in his bed, hair askew, snuggled up into his blanket. His shaky smile did little to hide the obvious shyness or the blush dusting against his cheeks.</p><p>Options. Set as wallpaper. Home screen and lock screen. Saved. Jaehyun checked that it worked before checking the text again.</p><p>
  <em>‘good morning. kkkk’</em>
</p><p>Even the text after the pic was incredibly adorable! His fingers couldn’t fly fast enough. <em>Click-click-click-click-click- </em>the sounds shamelessly fluttered through the morning air.</p><p>
  <em>‘<strong>I miss you.’</strong></em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘;;;;;;;;’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘thank you very much ^^a’</em>
</p><p>Only TY would combine such a formal response with a cutesy head scratching emoticon. Jaehyun bounced on the heels of his feet with the excuse that he needed his body warm to finish his laps. It totally wasn’t because he was imagining TY’s saying everything he was texting.</p><p>
  <strong> <em>‘Can we meet up later? Bazaar. 12.’</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>‘ohkee’</em>
</p><p>With the conversation basically over, Jaehyun decided to repay TY for the picture. He wasn’t particularly fond of selcas, but he got enough advice from his friend Winwin to at least take a decent one. He set up just the right angle, facing the rising sun for the perfect light and… <em>snap</em>. Sent. He continued his jog.</p><p>If he were one or two blocks closer, he would’ve been able to hear Taeyong screaming.</p><p>Later that day, half an hour before they were even supposed to meet, Jaehyun approached the bazaar. The first thing he noticed was the yellow motorcycle. He didn’t get a good chance to look at it the first time around given that he was distracted by its owner, but now he could see the dragons painted on the sides. Under his breath, he muttered “That really was a Hattori Hanzo sword.”</p><p>The geeky side of him fulfilled, he then laid eyes on his date. It was almost impossible not to. Red, white and black rider jacket. White and gold pants. A gold chain. Punk hair; white, but soft red thanks to the crimson lights above him. How could one person look like a fluffy little daisy one day and then a rider chick’s wet dream the next? Jaehyun was astounded. And attracted, but that was a foregone conclusion.</p><p>By the time he crept over TY was nervously checking his phone. Jaehyun made it all the way to directly behind him. He knew it wasn’t good practice, but looking at the phone over TY’s shoulder showed him… himself. Seems like they enjoyed each other’s pictures. Satisfied, Jaehyun cleared his throat.</p><p>TY jumped, nearly dropping his phone in the process. Gobsmacked, he turned around and sputtered. “It’s you.”</p><p>“You look good.”</p><p>Apparently snapping out of it, TY nodded along. It seemed that he wasn’t as easily flustered as usual. Maybe he was starting to get used to it? Well, that was good. As endearing as it is, it’d get awkward if his soon-to-be husband was always so shy that he’d implode at the slightest bit of affection. Feeling emboldened, he took TY’s hand.</p><p>TY practically exploded back into his jittery self, nearly wrenching his arm away out of shock. Okay, so he wasn’t completely immune just yet. It was fine. They’d work through it together.</p><p>Even if the text message that started it didn’t seem like a drama, their date certainly did. They went on another, longer tour of the city. Unlike before TY cleared out his schedule for the rest of the day. The view was wonderful. Picturesque. Masterpiece worthy. Oh, and the locations were alright too. Don’t get him wrong, he appreciated the countless signs in the tech district, the rumble of trains at the station, the Belgian waffle stands along the street.</p><p>It’s just that TY made all of those locations the most beautiful they could ever be.</p><p>As their date wound down, even Jaehyun could tell it was nearly time for them to part. It was a hard fact to swallow, but he’d prolonged it far too many times already. As they sat on a grassy knoll overlooking a river, bits of waffle disappearing into their mouths, all he could do was make use of what little time they had left.</p><p>“What kept you so busy these days?”</p><p>Mid-bite, TY was forced to chew quicker in order to answer. “I was organizing a competition for my stude- I mean kids!”</p><p>What. He knew TY wasn’t that old. He certainly wasn’t the type to have illegitimate children either. “You have kids?”</p><p>“In a sense,” TY grumbled, sucking sticky bits of chocolate off his fingers. “They’re not actually related to me, but they live with me. Since I’m older and more experienced they rely on me.”</p><p>“Oh,” Jaehyun said while nodding. A smile broke out across his face. “So students but not really students. I always thought you were a teacher. You’re the perfect type for it.”</p><p>Taeyong graciously accepted the comment, thinking about all the times he had to instruct different styles from his own. Jaehyun, on the other hand, was wondering what TY taught between Math and Science.</p><p>When both of their waffles were completely gone, they made their way over to the trash bins by the stand to dispose of their wrappers. Jaehyun had just carelessly tossed his in when a brightly colored poster caught his attention. On the side of the stand, in striking black and yellow lettering, was a poster.</p><p>“The 127 Dragons, huh?” Jaehyun’s face twisted into a grimace. He’d been hearing about them. Lately the crowd had been murmuring about him being able to take them on, but when he asked one of the bystanders where he could fight them, all they said was ‘wait’. It was annoying and he thought they were cowards at first, but it seemed like they had a set schedule. He looked to his tour guide companion. “You know about them, TY?”</p><p>TY completely froze. “Um… uh, well- no. Not really? Well yeah. Kinda. Everyone knows about them.”</p><p>Patting TY on the back to reassure him, Jaehyun sighed. His guess was right. TY just stayed away from the martial arts world, so of course he wouldn’t know anything past the basics of them. Jaehyun had no intention of dragging him into this dangerous world.</p><p>“I think I might try it out.” He tilted his head from side to side, cracking it loudly.</p><p>“Nonononono!” TY panicked, even rushing in between him and the poster. “I-I heard it was really dangerous! It’s supposed to be for really elite martial artists and I don’t want you to get hurt. The leader is a guy called Taeyong and he’s put people in the ICU before!”</p><p><em>By accident and in the early years</em>, Taeyong noted regretfully to himself.</p><p>Jaehyun almost smirked. This Taeyong person sounded fun. It’d be a great exercise to knock this cocky Taeyong guy into the hospital. As long as he won, even if he was battered and bruised, he could still lift TY up into his arms and tell him he became champion.</p><p>“I’m not just a novice. I really think I want to try.”</p><p>“I guess I can’t really stop you, but…”  TY scanned the road as if looking for an answer. “Please, just think about it before you go, Casper.”</p><p>“Alright. I’ll think about it.” Jaehyun thought about all the ways he’d beat the leader of the Dragons into a pulp.</p><p>They shared a fleeting hug before parting ways. Taeyong went back to the school, hoping that he would never see the name Casper in the competition list. Jaehyun went to the nearest gym, ready to push his body to the limit.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>next chapter should have more fight scenes and maybe possibly jaeyong finding out about each other so stay tuned!! _(•̀ω•́ 」∠)_</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Kicks Up High</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A flurry of fireworks exploded in broad daylight.</p><p>Streaks of yellow, purple and red flew pierced through the tranquil blue of the noon sky. Young children watched from windows, mesmerized by the colorful show. Apprentice martial artists trailed behind their more experienced brethren, gawking at the spectacle. Entire schools made their way to the stadium in showy processions, waving flags and banners to show their importance. The heads of the most prestigious schools were the only ones seemingly unfazed. However, even they were rattled.</p><p>Most masters were concerned with their image. Theirs was a tightrope act, having to balance the interests of their own school with respect for the 127 Dragons. To abstain from sending any students to the challenge would look disrespectful or worse, cowardly. However, sending students who were defeated too easily would besmirch the school’s pride and image. They would send two or three experienced students knowing full well they’d lose, and spend their time networking.</p><p>As difficult as that was, there were those with harder tasks still. Steely-eyed and grim leaders headed silent marches through the crowd. Other schools, lively with casual chatter, quieted as they looked on. Their faces said it all; shock, admiration, fear, but most often pity. The quiet schools were the ones where the head would be taking up the challenge.</p><p>As nearly the entire population of Neo Capitol streamed into the stadium, they were greeted by loud music and countless dancers on multiple stages. As schools filled up designated sections and single viewers rushed to get whatever free seat they could, the performances began. A tight blend of culture, the extravagant display featured graceful women in hanboks with rotating swords, red and gold lion dancers, skilled mask performers and many more acts. Each performed for just one section of the venue; that was how massive the stadium was.</p><p>Insect-like drones carrying high definition cameras and microphones flew near invisibly as they captured footage. Every single seat was equipped with a screen, allowing those interested in other performances to simply choose what they wanted to see through the coordinated movements of the drones. Later on when the fighting would start the screens and drones would serve as near-perfect views into each match.</p><p>The challengers were not so easily distracted, however. They kept their eyes glued on the farthest side of the stadium, at the empty middle section. Surrounded by fences and flanked by the second and third best schools, it was inaccessible with the exception of a single door.</p><p>Behind that door were the 127 Dragons, ticking down the time until 1PM sharp. For five of the members, it was business as usual. If it wasn’t for their martial arts clothing, it would be like they never left the house. For the rest, however, there was little conversation to be had. Jungwoo, Jisung, Chenle and Renjun were tucked away in their own room while preparing. Taeyong and Johnny were even further away in an office, taking a final look at the registration sheet.</p><p>Taeyong couldn’t help but bite on his lip as he checked, rechecked and checked the list <em>again</em>. He made sure that each name wasn’t the one he was dreading, just written in a different language. There were even English names thrown in that made his heart stop before he realized they didn’t start with ‘C’.</p><p>“Are you absolutely sure this is the final list?”</p><p>Johnny, who was sitting on the desk, nodded. “Yep. I asked Yuta and Chenle to check it before we left.”</p><p>The stressed leader slumped into his chair, relieved. He was not prepared to confess to Casper. He flicked through the pages once more, noting down some of the school heads who were no doubt aiming to challenge him. “Anyone notable?”</p><p>“I’m guessing you mean any wildcards since you know about Neo Capitol schools already.” Johnny didn’t wait for a response, instead flipping the stack of papers over. On the back were several names scribbled in pencil. “Number one. Taichi practitioner called Kunkun. Rookie prodigy, jack of all trades. Number two. Daniel, 1<sup>st</sup> Dan in Taekwondo, but incredibly popular. Number three. Jaehyun. Extremely recent visitor, but the absolute best where he’s from. Nicknamed  ‘The Knockout in Three Steps’ apparently.”</p><p>“Wah, what a scary nickname.”</p><p>With the advent of media it was easy to discredit any fraudulent titles. The fact that anyone could maintain such a killer title meant that they were the real deal. That didn’t mean he could ignore the others, however. Most of the 127 Dragons had nicknames, but not scary-sounding titles.</p><p>It was unlikely that such strong competitors would make their appearance this early anyway. More people arrived during the latter half of the week, which meant more publicity. They usually showed up during the last four days, taking down anywhere from one to three defenders. The more experienced students took up their posts during that period, leaving the newbies day one. Speaking of which…</p><p>“Let’s check up on them.”</p><p>He and Johnny went to the next room over, where the defenders were busy applying makeup. It was yet another piece of the spectacle, making even their faces a source of intimidation. Chenle’s rounded and puffy features were balanced out by sharp, deep black eyeliner. A little bit of bronzer and highlighter made Jisung’s jawline as defined as Mark’s. Faint pink eyeshadow gave Renjun an intensified stare. These were the best products money could buy, capable of surviving an entire day of intense contact sport.</p><p>Only Jungwoo wasn’t at his station, having finished his minimal eyebrow and eyeshadow ages ago. He was instead helping the Dreamies along, doing his best as the happy virus to keep spirits high.</p><p>Unfortunately, not even he could stop Chenle’s shivering.</p><p>A glint in the light caught Taeyong’s eye. His feet launched instinctively, but he was simply too far to intercept it. With a loud <em>CRASH</em>, shards of glass decorated the floor like a jagged carpet.</p><p>Chenle stared down at the broken remains of the case he was just holding. His shuddering worsened until it was like he was in the middle of a blizzard. Scratch that, an avalanche. He was completely overwhelmed. Jisung made to say something, but quickly swallowed his words. Taeyong took the initiative and rushed right over.</p><p>He pulled Chenle into a tight hug, feeling the younger boy’s heart thumping like a jackhammer against his chest. “No matter what happens, I’ll always be proud of you.”</p><p>As they separated, Chenle seemed to be on the verge of tears. Despite the crushing nervousness translating through his shaky hands and wet eyes, he nodded. Seconds later, he was wrapped in a similar embrace by Jisung.</p><p>“Don’t ruin your makeup just yet,” Jisung chided jokingly. “We’ll get through this together.”</p><p>It didn’t take very long for Renjun to be absorbed into the group hug, with Jungwoo trying (and failing) to lift them all up once he joined. By the time they all calmed down, Johnny had already swept up all the shards and disposed of them. Just in time, too.</p><p>The loud music blaring from outside finally ceased, leaving overexcited stadium patrons to start cheering. He straightened himself up, combing his hair back one last time. When everyone was ready, he threw open the door.</p><p>The cold air hit Taeyong’s exposed chest at the same time his ears were hit by the almost deafening applause. Countless faces of martial artists, tourists, performers and ordinary citizens alike stared with rapt attention as he approached the microphone.</p><p>“Welcome, everyone.” Taeyong recited the speech he’d given the past few years effortlessly. While his mouth developed buttered words of encouragement and humility, his eyes were working overtime to find that chiseled face, those high cheekbones.</p><p>When the last word echoed throughout the stadium, he had to admit it to himself. Casper was not here. His intuition was being wrong. It was being wrong and annoying. Casper took his advice and stayed far, far away.</p><p>With the opening remarks out of the way, the four defenders each made their way onto the field. The smaller performance stages had already been moved away, leaving only four big stages for each corner of the stadium.</p><p>The floodgates opened. Challengers rushed in, some full out sprinting in order to use the element of surprise.</p><p>Unsurprisingly, most of the early challengers went straight for Jungwoo. Contenders practically flew in with graceful, practiced motions, each right hook or jumping kick delivered in exact angles. However, Jungwoo’s style didn’t concern itself with elegance and perfect responses; it was all about practicality and instinct.</p><p>Where Taeyong would block and Johnny would move to the side, Jungwoo flat out fell onto his back to evade. Faced with such a sudden change in angle, the challengers had no time to react when Jungwoo pushed himself up by the palms. He shot himself off like a bullet, using his entire body like a projectile. Feet-first, he slammed into soft, unprotected stomachs.</p><p>Perceptive challengers started blocking their midsections, only for Jungwoo to stop falling on his back altogether. Unknowingly influenced by Jungwoo, whenever they struck, their hands immediately went back to their midsection. So when Jungwoo started blocking, his fists had an easy time cracking into jaws. Then people started protecting their jaw, trapped in an endless cycle with Jungwoo controlling the pace, always one step ahead.</p><p>By the time the first wave ended, there were countless people limping away, clutching their bruised middles or sore jaws. With Jungwoo having shaken their confidence, many of the would-be challengers started moving to the Dreamies. The closest became their target, in that case Jisung.</p><p>Jisung had grown very tall since Taeyong discovered him, lending well to his Crane style. While Haechan was Jisung’s teacher, they were very different in their actual application. Whereas Haechan specialized in tricky offense and leg-based grapples, Jisung was a far more traditional Crane.</p><p>Wary from Jungwoo’s surprise attacks, people entered Jisung’s circle slowly, cautiously. Jisung did nothing but keep in the center, balancing on one leg. His arms were spread out to the side, less like a bird ready to swoop and more like a warning. Attackers inexperienced with Jisung’s style thought it was a weak stance and instantly tried to sweep his leg.</p><p>In one flowing motion, Jisung jumped over the attacker’s limb while also bringing his arms together. Trapped in between, a meaty <em>smack</em> rang through the victim’s head. Jisung landed on his other leg and kicked, easily knocking out the disoriented opponent.</p><p>The next fared little better, making futile attempts to grab at Jisung’s arms. Jisung lifted his hands up high above his head, blocking a low jab with his sturdy knee. He made a wide, exaggerated motion aimed at the attacker’s head- before twisting and pummeling the opponent’s chest with strong palms.</p><p>For his first defense, Jisung was doing exceptionally well. So well, in fact, that people were no longer targeting him for being the youngest. They moved on to the remaining stages, the closer of which was Renjun’s. Whereas Haechan supported Jisung quietly, watching him using a screen, Mark was jumping up and down, yelling his support from halfway across the arena.</p><p>Despite Mark’s excitability, Renjun was no less focused or precise. A very low Snake user, Renjun took up less than half of the space Jisung’s wide stance did. Whereas Jisung invited people to take swings at him for counterattacks, Renjun discouraged attacks all together. Challengers who tried to circle around him with defensive stances found their kneecaps buckling underneath them. Renjun’s fingers weren’t as fast as Mark’s, but they packed a little more punch.</p><p>When their defenses collapsed, Renjun got on top of them, pinning them with all his weight. His fingers were like needles, jabbing into his opponents’ necks with extreme prejudice. As soon as they were no longer a threat, he slid off them and invited the next opponent.</p><p>Now afraid of being too defensive, scared challengers rushed in to attack without thinking.  Their clumsy, uncoordinated kicks could only graze Renjun as he rolled. Thinking that they had him running, they continued their haphazard kicks without even realizing that Renjun was rolling closer to them. They were in for a hard realization when their legs were swept from underneath them and Renjun was battering their throat.</p><p>That only left Chenle, whose wide eyes darted at the number of opponents coming his way. Taeyong made sure to cheer for him, but it wasn’t the same as the support being sent to the others. Everyone had proper teachers before them. Jisung and Renjun had their elder Dreamies. Even Jungwoo trained under someone else before entering the 127 fold. Chenle started learning Tiger only after Taeyong noticed him.</p><p>That being said, there was a reason Chenle was a Dreamie. Chenle was no less ferocious than any other Tiger, launching himself claws first. The first mistake for some was their clothing. Chenle’s raking nails found purchase in ridges, in pockets, anything that stuck out. Once he found his holding point it was only a matter of time before Chenle could get a proper grip and then pull.</p><p>Since Chenle’s fists weren’t fully developed through training yet, most of his devastating blows came from his shoulders and elbows. Once he had the opponent in his grip, he’d break through the rest of their defense with his elbow. Once that was done and they were off balance, they’d be pulled right into Chenle’s finishing shoulder.</p><p>Matches flew by at much the same pace, but as the hours crawled by exhaustion was starting to set in. Only Jungwoo seemed to be as energetic as he was from the beginning, going so far as to cheer for the Dreamies even while he was fighting.</p><p>At around 5, the defenders were given a much needed rest. For an hour they ate, slept, applied relief patches, whatever they thought was best. They savored each moment, knowing full well that they still had two long, grueling hours ahead of them after the break.</p><p>Taeyong and Jisung especially did what they could to help out Chenle, who was looking especially faint. Afterward, however, Chenle continued to deteriorate.</p><p>As the stars appeared in the night sky, Chenle faced his biggest threat yet. One of the heads of a smaller school, he was best described as a brute. Packed in muscle from head to toe, and forgoing the use of a shirt altogether, Chenle’s claws weren’t as effective. It clearly caused the brute some pain whenever nails dragged across his skin, but pain itself wasn't enough. Only Chenle's elbows seemed to work, but the hours and opponents had clearly taken its toll on him.</p><p>His sluggish elbow was blocked and then gripped. He cried out in pain when his arm was forced behind his back. He was pushed down savagely, feeling his ribs creak when a heavy knee planted itself over his arm and his back. It was over. He couldn’t take anymore.</p><p>“I yield!”</p><p>However, the pain continued. In fact, it seemed to intensify. The brute chuckled, almost sounding like a hoarse pig. “You Dragons are overrated. Lookin’ down on me, you bastards deserve what’s comin’ to ya!”</p><p>Chenle felt the weight lifting off of him and rolled over, only to see the brute raising his leg for a huge scissor kick. Taeyong once again felt the sickening feeling as he stood up. He was running, but deep within his heart he knew that he wouldn’t make it. Chenle screamed as the foot came toward him, sure that it was going to break bone.</p><p>“Coward!”  A third voice joined them.</p><p>The heel seemed to freeze in midair. Someone intercepted the attack with just one hand.</p><p>Just like that, the entire venue went silent.</p><p>Taeyong’s already worried heart nearly exploded at the sight. He was almost sure that his eardrums had been blown out since he couldn’t even hear himself think. “Cas…per?”</p><p>As tough and blubbery as it was, the brute was supported only by one leg planted on the ground. One sharp kick from Jaehyun made that leg buckle backward. However, even as the brute fell, Jaehyun kept the heel right where it was, bicep straining but holding it up nonetheless. The brute wasn’t flexible enough and howled in pain as he was forced to do an impromptu split. After an agonizing minute or so, Jaehyun tossed the heel down in disgust and anger.</p><p>When he turned to Chenle he softened up immediately. He picked up the shivering boy with all the care in the world. But then he caught sight of the person still on the floor. Unable to help himself, he yelled at everyone around.</p><p>“If there’s any bastard who even <em>thinks</em> of hurting someone who surrendered, leave now.” Jaehyun snarled. “Chenle will not be defending for the rest of the day. As soon as I get him to rest, <em>I</em> will be taking his place. Any objections will be answered with my fist. I refuse to let a fellow Tiger get hurt any further.”</p><p>Just as he said that, Jaehyun turned and locked eyes with Taeyong.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So Jaeyong actually did find out!! Have to wait until next chap for their reactions though. Plus Jaehyun vs Jungwoo. I'm excited for itヾ(^▽^*)))</p><p>p.s. all the love for commenters, you guys are lovely and give me all the encouragement to write</p>
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